Modi appeals court order permitting BCCI enquiry

Lalit Modi, the former IPL chairman, has filed an appeal in the Bombay High Court against the earlier order given by the court that allowed the BCCI's disciplinary committee to continue investigating charges against him. Modi had challenged the existence of the committee in an earlier petition, claiming it had been improperly constituted, but on March 4 Justice SJ Kathawala dismissed the application and criticised Modi for trying to delay the proceedings. The hearings were due to restart today.

"We had sought for stay on the DC [disciplinary committee] enquiry pending disposal of the appeal," Mehmood Abdi, Modi's lawyer, told PTI. "We would now request with BCCI to postpone the enquiry till the High Court decides on our appeal."

On Monday, a two-person division bench made up of Justices Ranjana Desai and RG Ketkar heard arguments from Modi's counsel, Ram Jethmalani, and BCCI's counsel, Rafiq Dada. A further round of hearings were scheduled for today.

Modi has repeatedly challenged the composition of the committee, particularly objecting to the presence of current IPL chairman Chirayu Amin and BCCI vice-president Arun Jaitley on grounds of bias against him. His case was rejected by the Bombay High Court but the Supreme Court told the board and Modi in October to come to a compromise on the issue. However, the two sides failed to do so.